Justin stared into the mirror as his right hand labored to button his dress jacket shut. "Leftenant, you must allow me to testify on my own behalf. I read the text of General Courtney's speech at Andy Redburn's reception two nights ago. He already believes I'm guilty."
Lofton snarled in frustration. "What could you say? What could you add that would justify your giving Vitios a direct shot at you?"
Justin spun about. "Courtney is a commander of men. He's made battle decisions before. I served under him. I can convince him of my innocence. I can touch that chord deep inside every soldier who's ever had to make a decision that sent men out to die."
Lofton shook his head violently. "Are you mad? Recall, Major, that it was your unorthodox action on Spica that saved Courtney's command. If you and Colonel William Dobson hadn't flanked Liao's Blackwind Lancers, Courtney would have died without having to face the shame of being trapped by those Capellan units." Lofton cursed under his breath. "I wish Dobson hadn't died on Galtor. We could have used his testimony to your bravery."
Justin nodded slowly. "And I could have used his friendship."
Lofton shook his head. "Redburn was . . . is . . .your friend, and Vitios made mincemeat of him. He'll do the same with you, Major, and that's the reason I won't put you on the stand."
Justin tugged at the black glove on his left hand. "Absolutely?"
Lofton shrugged and picked up his briefcase from the table. "I think I made some headway with Redburn's cross-examination yesterday. He got a chance to use his wit, and it worked in our favor to delay until after Prince Davion awarded him the Silver Sunburst. I don't want to give Vitios a shot at you, Justin, because he'll hurt you badly."
Justin pursed his lips and nodded slowly. "This is your battlefield, David. Just remember I'm ready if you need reinforcements."
Leftenant David Lofton forced a smile and led his client out into the maelstrom. I hope, for your sake, Major, that this trial doesn't get to the point where Ineed your help.
* * *
"Objection, Your Honor!"
Courtney shrugged and looked toward Lofton. "Yes, Leftenant?"
Lofton adjusted his glasses. "If it please the court, the prosecution cannot use the holovid tapes of investigators on Kittery as testimony. To do so would violate my client's right to face his accusers. Because I cannot cross-examine those witnesses, their testimony cannot be allowed."
Vitios placed the tapes back on the desk. "Your Honor, though I would never think of denying Leftenant Lofton the chance to crush my witnesses—as he has so ably done thus far—I would hasten to point out that tapes have been allowed in court before." The titters that sprang up at Vitios's sarcastic reference to Lofton's inability to break witnesses died as the prosecutor's aide typed furiously on a keyboard.
Vitios turned to face the large viewscreen to the right of the witness stand. "As you can see, in the case of Muije versus Nebula Foods,the court allowed the plaintiff to present holovid tapes because of the prohibitive cost in time and money of bringing witnesses to the site of the trial."
Lofton's laugh startled the court. "Your honor, this is ridiculous. Muije versus Nebula Foodsis a civil case over two hundred years old, and this is a military trial! The plaintiff, in this case, is a member of the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns." Lofton turned to face his adversary. "It strikes me that if Duke Hasek-Davion can afford to send his own hatchetman to persecute my client, he can damn well afford to send witnesses."
Courtney's gavel thundercracked silence throughout the courtroom. "That will be enough Leftenant! You, yourself, have reminded the Court that this is a military trial. Now the Court will remind you of the same and demands that you conduct yourself in a military manner!"
Lofton bowed his head, "Yes, sir."
Courtney drew his bushy gray eyebrows together in a way that filled Lofton with cold dread. "While your objection might have some merit in another case, or even at another point in this proceeding, it has no bearing here. The witnesses on these tapes are experts in their fields, and it would be well beyond your ability to impeach their testimony. The tapes contain information needed to adjudicate this case. Proceed, Count Vitios."
"No!" Lofton stalked forward. "Am I to believe, based on what you have just said, Your Honor, that you have already reviewed the tapes?"
Courtney nodded his silver-maned head. "I have, Leftenant Lofton, and I see no reason to let your objection stand. Overruled."
* * *
The courtroom lights came back up as the image of the last Hasek-Davion expert faded from the viewscreen. Vitios, poised perfectly in the center of the courtroom, opened his hands to include the whole audience. "In short, Your Honor, the witnesses have confirmed that Major Allard's Valkyriewas damaged by autocannon and laser fire, as he has maintained. They found enough chemical residue and spent projectiles from an autocannon to suggest, as Major Allard reported, that he tried to evade the 'Mech shooting at him. But, because of their inability to recover data from Major Allard's damaged battle-recorder, they have no way of verifying this claim to have fought off a Rifleman.In fact, given the evidence in the field, they have concluded that he faced an UrbanMech—the lightest 'Mech known to carry an autocannon."
"Objection! The prosecution is making a statement, not asking a question. This is neither the time nor the place." Wearily, Lofton stood and leaned over the defense table, supporting himself on his two hands. No one in the courtroom could fail to read the exhaustion in his slumping frame or the nervous tic tugging at the corner of one eye.
"Sustained." Courtney looked over at the Corporal acting as court stenographer. "Strike those comments. Count Vitios, please call your next witness."
The Count graced Lofton with a sly nod of the head, then smiled cruelly. "The prosecution calls Quintus Allard to the stand."
Justin's father marched stiffly down the aisle from the gallery, anger flashing like lightning from his blue eyes. He allowed himself to be sworn in as though it were the most onerous task he'd ever been asked to perform. He glared at the prosecutor.
Vitios smiled almost graciously. "State your name for the record, please, and your position."
Quintus's nostrils flared. "Enough games, Vitios. I'm here. I'm your Judas, so just get it over with."
Vitios nodded curtly, then looked to Courtney. "Your Honor, you can see that this will be a hostile witness." With the judge's nodded acknowledgement, Vitios started in. "You are the head of the Davion Counter-intelligence Division, are you not?"
"Among other things, yes." Quintus spat out the words as though they were poison.
Vitios smiled without compassion or sympathy. "In your capacity as Acting Minister of Intelligence Information and Operations, did you attend the interrogation of a captured Capellan MechWarrior by the name of Lo Ching-wei?"
"Yes."
"In this interrogation, did you identify him as a member of the Yizhi tong of Shaoshan? And did you identify him as one of the people who claimed some knowledge of the ambush in which your son was injured?"
Quintus tightened his grip on the witness box railing to white-knuckled intensity. "Yes, to both counts."
"What did he identify as the type of 'Mech that destroyed your son's Valkyrie?"
Pain creased Quintus Allard's face as the answer came reluctantly from his lips. "An UrbanMech."
Justin quickly whispered something to his lawyer, and Lofton stood. "Objection, your Honor. This is hearsay evidence."
Vitios wheeled and stabbed a finger at Lofton. "Are you doubting Quintus Allard's sworn word? Obviously, this man is fighting me as hard as he can, and yet you object?"
Lofton removed his glasses and leaned toward Vitios. "Need I remind you, my Lord, that it is not the veracity or credibility of a witness that makes his testimony admissible or not."